Keeping your health, social life, and sanity in High School

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Tips for Beginning (or improving) Your High School Experience

Hello everyone! I’m trying this blog thing again and I just wanted to offer anyone who wants to read this a few tips for beginning high school. I’m writing this while I’m still in my freshman year (and editing as a sophomore), and here’s a bit of the things I wish people had told me.

SOCIALLY

Rule of thumb for your first day (especially if you are starting at a new school with 0 friends like I did) is to be nice!!! Nice, but to a point. If someone asks if they can have all of your money then brushing them off is the better thing to do.

You do not need a billion clothes in your closet. While I have a large variety of clothes (been the same size for a few years), a lot of my classmates don’t, and that’s OK! The least you’ll need are 2-5 shirts that pop, and 3-10 shirts that don’t. Jeans… Well, I think you should at least have 3 pairs of jeans and additional bottoms. Trust me, not many people care what you’re wearing. And the few that do will only think bad of you if:

1)They’re jerks who don’t deserve your attention anyway

2)1

3)2

Don’t join any clubs until after October. Many clubs will have freshman meetings to recruit new people, but it’s good to expose yourself to every group you can. You might like what they have to offer. Also, try to make a list of clubs you’re interested in to make sure you don’t miss the dates for any of those meetings.

If you want to join a sport, think about it before you end middle school. If you want to do a winter sport, you should get a physical right away and hand in the forms to your high school’s office, or to the gym teacher managing the specific sport. Ask them any other questions you may have.

Try to make a friend or two in every class you have. Trust me, English is a lot less stressful when you have a few people to discuss it with during class and outside of school.

If you realize that you’ve spent a long time trying to be friends with someone who isn’t responding to you in the way you’d like them to, it’s best to just back off instead of spending the rest of the next two years thinking you’re friends, when you really aren’t and going through a period of stress and emotional eating once you finally ask after being fed up with them and they say you’re just acquaintances (that one’s for you, Rich).

Respect your classmates. Easier said than done, but generally if you show someone respect, they’ll show you respect. And if you have a problem with someone, talk to your counselor. It’s their job to keep the peace, and you may even become friends with your “enemy” while trying to settle your issues

Be yourself. Like the things you like and do what comes naturally to you. If you’re a kid who likes kpop, hip hop, anime or Latin drama, or even cosplay, students who share the same interests as you will be more than happy to be your friend!

IN CLASS

Don’t speak while the teacher is talking

Try to come to class prepared, and apologize to your teacher if you aren’t. It’s better to let them know as soon as you realize it than to be caught when you don’t have your textbook and are called to write out problems on the board. If they aren’t a very strict teacher, you may want to ask permission to visit your locker for the missing items or ask if you can borrow an in class copy.

Don’t cheat! You know what I mean. If you need help, make sure your teacher is okay with you talking to your classmates. If they aren’t, try to ask a friend to help you outside of class.

TIPS SO YOU WON’T FEEL LIKE SUCH A NOOB

Have a separate binder to complete homework in. This way, you won’t have a freshman book bag on your way to and from school. Transfer the papers you used to the binders or notebooks you use to each specific class binder during advisory.

Do your homework at home! If you forget one assignment, you can then use your advisory or lunch period to complete your work. Otherwise, advisory and lunch are good times to study and prepare for your next class.

Always have anything you will ever need in your backpack. Inhaler, lipgloss, eyeliner, shoe strings, lotion, money, your school ID, and any other personal items you may need. Nobody is going to look in your book bag to see if you have pads, and if you do, nobody cares. Unless you’re a boy, in which case… You need a reason for that (for your sister, friend, girlfriend… Idk. Just not for you o.o If they’re tampons, everyone should know it’s for nosebleeds. Drrrp).

Try to become friends with a teacher who is off during your lunch. Don’t be afraid of your teachers, and if you make friends with them, they may let you help them during your lunch for community service.

It’s okay to put off community service until the last minute, but make sure you start at least 3 months before its due. Volunteering during the weekends, holidays, breaks, and even your birthday are some ways to get community service without dawdling and can be quite productive.

It’s also okay to help people. The competition for grades doesn’t really begin until junior year. However, if helping someone is killing your grades, stop immediately. Their grade isn’t worth yours. Remember that. However, try not to be a jerk about it.

Try to join a sport or sports club (I’ve heard golf club is fun and relaxed), a social club (culture club, robotics, origami, etc.), and student gov. (Class president, rep, etc. Or mock trial, law). These help you become a really well rounded student as you speed through high school.

Enjoy this year! I’ve been told countlessly that this and senior year are the years that you’ll have the least work to do. Try to develop good studying and project habits this year in case you haven’t before. Next year will be a breeze~

I think that’s all I have for today. Bye guys, and I hope you’ll enjoy your high school experiences this coming August/ September,I go to go do my homework now!